


opposite of alone

by titaniumsansa



Series: A Softer World [11]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: A softer world - Freeform, Drabble, Drabble Collection, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Grief/Mourning, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Inspired By A Softer World, Love, Oneshot, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Sleep, Sleepiness, Snaibsel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 05:55:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14372349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/titaniumsansa/pseuds/titaniumsansa
Summary: Zatanna asks Artemis to help her move back into Shadowcrest. Based off a Softer World prompt. Snaibsel. All oneshots in the series are unrelated, can be read without reading others.





	opposite of alone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunkelles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunkelles/gifts).



> AN: I do not own anything.  
> The prompt for this chapter is:  
> We talk in the dark as we fall asleep, and we are objects in the night sky outside of time. (It is the exact opposite of alone)

It’s a process, getting through all of the senior things in May, prom with her friends, graduating with them, and admitting to herself that she needs to go home. The Cave is where M’gann, Conner, and Garfield are, but it’s not home, not really-and it never was. It was a pale imitation, the only thing she could get.

“I want to go home,” Zatanna tells Artemis when they’re alone in her room in the Cave.

“Shadowcrest?” Artemis asks and Zatanna nods. She knows Artemis remembers it at least a little, she was the one who helped Zatanna move her things out, the next morning. High school is over, and so are M’gann and Conner. It’s awkward to be there, and it’s not like she wants to stay in the Cave. The rooms and bathrooms there-it was never meant to be a home-just an in between. She was in between, between having a father and being an orphan and she’s tired of being defined by that. Going back to her roots, back to her actual house, home, where generations of Zataras lived and laughed in-sounds like the best kind of comfort. Shadowcrest is secure, and she knows it’s more secure than the Cave, and she knows it’s big too. It’s not like going back to a little cramped single person apartment in New York City, it’s sprawling and adventure to her as a child.

“Do you want to help me move back in?” Zatanna asks and Artemis thinks of how she helped Zatanna move in. It feels right and with that in mind, she nods.

* * *

 

Zatanna is quiet as they stare at the property. Zatanna wants to run through the grass and trees like she’s a child again, playing hide and seek with her father-laughing and giggling. She wants to sit and stare at the statues and the house, and remember what it looked like to her when she was so much shorter. Artemis is silent beside her and she is thankful for her quiet strength and support in that moment. It sinks in then, like a quick tragedy at sea-a boat submerged in water in seconds-her father might not ever come home. He might never see this again. He might never be home again, she rigged the wards to only accept her when she left last time.

It’s home, but it’s still hollow without her dad. She’s the age where people start to drift away from her parents, but she did that years ago without a choice. Despite the memories that make her eyes shine with tears, she’s still struck with an overwhelming calm as she finally makes it up the stairs and to the front door.

“How are you feeling?” Artemis asks carefully, quietly, like if she speaks too loudly the ghosts will hear. There aren’t any ghosts-at least not that her dad told her about-but Zatanna’s memories might as well be ghosts haunting her.

“Sad. Nostalgic. Relieved. Like I was gone for years and years and I thought maybe it’d change without me. But looking at it makes me feel like I should have come back. That home was a place I could always go back to. I belong here, I can feel it. This is where I’m meant to be,” Zatanna answers, letting out a sigh. It’s too quiet, and the door shuts behind them. Zatanna thought maybe she’d want to be alone, but she wants someone to share this with, and Artemis makes sense, like she always has.

It’s clean but dark, and she can’t help but feel like she needs to turn on every light to make it seem warm and alive again. It was like an old photograph, tucked in a box full of acid free paper, in a closet somewhere. She wants to dust off the box and mess with the house-make it feel less preserved, less like a museum with velvet ropes and off limits areas. She stops in front of the door to her room and thinks of how she cried while packing, and how she was shaking so badly Artemis just held her in a hug. Zatanna hasn’t seen her be very physically affectionate ever, she’s seen Artemis dodge hugs from strangers and handshakes like a pro.

“If this is too much we can get out of here for a while or something,” Artemis reminds her, voice reminding her she’s not alone, not lonely.

“No, I can do this. I have to do it at some point, might as well rip of the bandaid,” Zatanna says and Artemis nods. Artemis watches her open the door, and hesitantly walk in. Artemis thinks about the fact Zatanna doesn’t have enough memories of her father, and that she’s cursed with too many memories of Sportsmaster. Everything is exactly the way they left it, and Artemis isn’t sure what she was expecting, The house seems still as wind blows through the trees outside. It’s getting dark and Artemis doesn’t want to leave.

Zatanna still seems frozen in place after a moment, and Artemis reaches for her hand. She turns her head and looks at her and bites her lip.

“Should we groceries? It’s dinner time,” Artemis notes and Zatanna nods, looking at the clock frozen in time on her wall. She didn’t think of taking the batteries out or taking it with her-she wonders when it died.

* * *

 

“Do you want to just stay the night?” Zatanna asks and Artemis nods. It’s dark and they’re carrying groceries into the warm kitchen.

“I didn’t know if you wanted to be alone tonight or not,” Artemis admits, as she sets her bags down on the counter. Zatanna thinks about sleeping with every light on in the sprawling property and being miles away from anyone else. It’s not dangerous-just lonely.

“I want you here, if that’s okay,” Zatanna tells her.  Artemis nods at that, slight grin on her lips at that. She didn’t really want to make her way to the closest zeta tube in the dark-or appear somewhere in Gotham without an explanation. They already had dinner and she wants to stay. It’s quiet here, Gotham is so loud, there’s always something going on, and always something going _wrong._ Shadowcrest is quiet, it’s just them making noise, and there’s no pollution to stop them from seeing the stars.

That’s settled then, and they work to put groceries up. They already took covers off furniture earlier, returned books to their places in the library, and unpacked most of Zatanna’s room. It’s not a childish room really, she just can’t help but think about who she was when she was fourteen, and how that presented itself in her room. The dead clock on the wall doesn’t help either. Still, she lends Artemis some pajamas and looks at some of the neat quilts in some of the other bedrooms. They’re lovely, vibrant, and she can’t remember who made them. Her dad would know but if he’s forgotten or she never gets to speak to him again, then she’ll never know.

Eventually they settle in different rooms, Artemis is just across the hall, but it’s so much quieter than the Cave. Zatanna stares at the ceiling and thinks of all the nights she missed this room, this bed, and even the ceiling. There’s a quiet knock on her door, and Artemis has one of those quilts over her shoulders like a cape-and smiles nervously.

“Did I wake you up?” Artemis whispers and Zatanna shakes her head.

“I couldn’t sleep either,” Zatanna confesses quietly and Artemis gives her a relieved grin.

“Scoot over,” Artemis says and she’s all too happy to have company. Neither of them know what time it is, but they feel quiet and infinite. The night could go on forever and that’d be just fine. They talk until neither of them can, with a quilt draped over them and smiles on their faces.


End file.
